Ten years later
by CaptainFlye
Summary: Set about 10 years since the general events of the strip. Calvin and Susie are in High School now, and they seem to have switched roles a bit...
1. Problems with a quiz

So, I do not own Calvin and Hobbes, etc,etc,etc.

Summary: Set about 10 years from the main events of the comics, Calvin and Susie are now in High School, but they seem to have switched roles somewhat. What happened to cause this? Read to find out. Story is sctually complete, but I'm welcome to reviews, and if I get something thought provoking enough, I may even change it.

WHUMP!! Calvin fell over as the snowball hit him in the back of his head.

"Hey, Calvin, what's the matter!" Susie called out to the blond boy, who was slowly picking himself up. "Hey Calvin! Ain't cha gonna do nothing!" He gave a little smile as he brushed the snow off himself. Susie huffed and walked over to him. It was the same thing every winter now. He never did anything mischievous anymore. She could hardly remember why. Something when there were still in elementary school… But that was a long time ago, and their roles had almost switched. Now _she_ was the one who looked to cause trouble and he was the smart one. Ever since… something he'd begun to bury himself in school work and chores, like he was trying to forget something. She still studied, but her mischievous side was only to try and instigate his. She wasn't even really sure why she did it, except… maybe she did like the old Calvin better.

"Did you study for the test, Susie?" Oh there he went on a normal conversation again! Wait… test!

"Shoot! I totally forgot!" Calvin lost his smile all the way and looked a little troubled.

"You didn't study at all? But this is a big test! It's almost a third of the grade…" She scowled.

"Well, too bad I forgot, then." He looked down for a little.

"You know… Mr. Barb told me what was going to be on the test…"

"Oh shut up, you little teacher's pet! You don't have to rub it in." He held up his hands a little defensively.

"No, I didn't mean it like that!" He put his hands in his pockets and looked down a little again. "I meant, that, you know, if you wanted, we could skip gym and I could help you study the right stuff for it." Susie looked at him in surprise.

"What?! You, you'd skip a class… to help me? Why?" He shuffled his feet.

"Dunno," he muttered, blushing, though she couldn't see it. He looked over at her. "So, you wanna?" Susie looked up, rubbing her head as she thought. There was one advantage to new Calvin, and that was that he liked to help.

"Sure," she said, again not noticing Calvin perking up. "I guess we can do that. Good thing we both have that lame gym class to start with."

"Hey, bus is here," he said. She cocked her head to look down the street.

"Yeah, guess so." She put her head back down, hands in her coat pockets. "So, where we gonna study?" Calvin rubbed his chin, and she almost dropped her jaw as she saw the old glimmer in his eye that had been missing for so long, and she started to grin some too.

"How about on the roof? I saw a way to get up there back in freshman year. It's… a good place to think, and, uh, study." She held back her stare as the bus pulled up and the door opened.

"Uh, sure; sounds good."

"Great! It's a date!" _Okay, whatever_ she thought. _Wait… did he say date!_ She held in her scream; now that they were on the bus it was too late to do that without getting severe embarrassment.

So, there it is, the first section. What do you think?


	2. Complications with studying

So, [insert disclaimer]. Anyways, I hope all readers enjoy this second part. Also, I'm going to give a little bit of background real fast.

When I came up with this story I was actually staying with my grandparents transitioning between work and school. I had moved in with my aunt's family a little before to find a job so I could get to college again, but that was over, and my grandparents were closer to school than my aunt. This also served as a weather transition for me. You see, where I grew up it would only snow twice in a year. Where I am now for school, I have yet to see the ground because it is always covered in it! My grandparents also have their fair share of snow, and since I was staying there for a couple weeks, I felt I should shovel snow for them. They ain't young after all! While I was shoveling, I had this idea come into my head, and it wouldn't go away! So, later that day, I sat down, and I actually got this whole thing typed in mostly one sitting. And that's how this came to be.

Also, I hope this explains a little better why it's 'okay' that they're on the roof even though it's snowing. If not, I'll add in that I would actually shovel snow in short sleeves while I was at my aunts and my grandparents. Part of that is just because I'm crazy, but also, I've noticed that just because there's still snow on the ground, that doesn't mean that the temperature can't be comfy.

Thanks for all thoughts and reviews, and keep looking for any possible mistakes I may make! Thank-you, and enjoy!

**Complications with studying**

Susie completely forgot to scream at him later when he showed her the way up to the roof. There was a small spot in the wall of the main building where a ladder was stowed away, but it was behind a tree so big that it was no wonder that no one else had noticed it. _How did _he_ find it, though_, she wondered. It wasn't like him to do stuff like that, not anymore. Unless, maybe, _maybe_ he still had it, and she just never was around to see it.

She looked around once they made it to the roof. She was awed. It was obvious that Calvin spent a lot of time up here. He'd already erected a little shelter to keep the snow out up against a protrusion in the roof. It looked like he'd made sure it was on the side where the wind wouldn't blow in any snow.

"Well, this is my little club house," he said proudly. "A perfect spot for studying!"

"Un-huh," was all she could say. He smiled, a real smile, and then he got her to sit down and they began to work.

It turned out to be a little harder than she had expected. It was a good thing he was helping her, or she wouldn't stand a chance! She hated history so much… She did notice that Calvin was making sure to check his watch as they went, so she went ahead and focused. He'd make sure they were ready to leave on time… Then, out of nowhere, SMACK! Susie looked over at the smirk Calvin had on his face, his right hand showing it's guilt by the snow still on it.

"hehe. Got you good there, Susie." Surprise gave way to anger.

"Calvin!" She yelled as she launched herself at him. It was too hard to stay mad at him for some reason, though. They quickly devolved to giggling and tickling till he had her pinned on her back , hands down on either side of she so that she couldn't tickle him.

"Surrender," he said, out of breathe and mere inches from her face. Her face reddened from nothing to do with anger as she looked up into his eyes.

"Never," she whispered. His eyes lit up at the challenge, and he leaned closer.

"I bet I can make you," he whispered.

"Just go ahead an-" but she was cut off as the remaining distance between their lips closed, and so did her eyes. They were kissing, and it felt so wonderful. She could feel all his spirit in it; it was the same spirit he had had as a kid, and it was just what she had wanted. She didn't notice when he let go of her wrists, but it felt natural to both of them to wrap their arms around each other. Oh it felt so good! Susie began to wonder-

BRIIIIIIIIINNNNGG!

"Ah flip!" yelled Calvin as the bell rang. "We're gonna be late for class!" He looked down as Susie, red and out of breathe from the kiss. "Oh shoot," he whispered. He jumped off of her and began to apologize profusely.

"I'm sorry, Susie, I didn't mean, that is I, uh…" Susie bolted up herself when he did, legs curled to the side, one hand the ground supporting her, the other clutching her chest. It felt so weird, but now she was starting to get mad again.

"Oh shut up Calvin! We need to get to class, and your blubbering will only make us later!"

"Right! Uh, yeah, right! So, uh, let's get moving!" As they scrambled to get their stuff back together he mentioned a couple more things she might want to study before they got to their history class after lunch. She, meantime, wondered why it felt so weird now, when it had felt so right a moment ago, and so much that morning. She paused for a moment as she ran to her class. It was the old Calvin! That was what made her feel so… in love? _AAAHH!!!_

So, do you like how the story is developing? R&R please! :)


	3. The Apology?

This was actually one part when i wrote it, but it's a bit longer of a section than the rest of it, and I decided that I wanted to keep the sections as close to the same size as was reasonably possible. Sorry if this makes it seem a bit chopped off, but I promise the twp parts will mesh just fine. So, disclaimer etc, read and enjoy.

Fortunately, Susie did manage to concentrate to study, and she felt she did well on the test. Thinking back on it, she realized that if she hadn't come in first and immediately started working on the test, she would have seen Calvin and started to freak. She still wasn't sure what was going on with her. She couldn't really have fallen for that jerk, could she? _Still_, she thought, touching her lips, _it _did_ feel really nice._ She shook her head to clear her mind. She didn't need this. She couldn't afford this! She had too much to think about. When she got on the bus, she immediately found another girl to sit with and started chatting animatedly. She made sure she didn't look at Calvin and his cute, spiky hair [stop it!] when he got on the bus. She could already feel the awkwardness as he slowed down near where sat, almost pausing, then walked on. The girl was sitting with watched him go by.

"What's up between you and the nerd?"

"What! Nothing! Why-how could you say-" The other girl shrugged.

"Alright, alright, whatever! Golly. I just thought it was weird how he walked by; just give it a rest girl."

"Oh, um, yeah, okay. So…" The rest of the bus ride was uneventful, and she ran home afterwards.

Calvin had tried to study, but it was too hard. All he could think about was Susie. He had known that he liked her a little, but he hadn't meant to kiss her! And now she was avoiding him at all costs. What could he do?

"Hobbes, where did you go? I know you'd have the answer."

Susie had gone to bed early. There wasn't any extra homework, so she just got it done, hoping that she could sleep off the weirdness. She didn't want to think about what was going on. It was just too weird, and she had a feeling that _she _had done something to make him the way he'd become.

Just as she was starting to fall asleep, there was a small 'thunk!' on her window. She bolted up right, recovering from her grogginess. _What was that?_ She looked at the window and saw a small snowball hit it again, making another 'thunk!' sound. She slowly got out of bed and walked to the side of the window, peeking out to see who was throwing snowballs at her window. Just as another one hit, she saw the spiky yellow hair. Calvin! She quickly opened the window, sticking her head out.

"What are you doing here," she hissed. He put down the hand that had been ready to throw another snowball.

"I- I needed to talk with you," he called back in a whisper.

"About what!? Go away! You should be sleeping." He didn't go away. Instead, he walked up to the house and started to climb up some of the bricks that jutted out of the side. It used to make a flower design, but it had long since worn away.

"What are you doing?! My parents could come to the door any second.

"Then lock it," he replied, about halfway up. She screwed up her face, and then made a decision. She strode resolutely to the door, grabbed the door knob, took a deep breath… and then she locked the door. She hung her head as she walked back to the window. He was right; they did need to talk. She was trying to avoid it, but she knew that it had to come. By the time she got there, he was supporting his weight on the window sill.

"Well," she said, looking to the side, "what are you waiting for? Get in." He smiled a little and held out a hand. She rolled her eyes and helped pull him in.

"So, what is it?" He scratched the back of his head as he sat on the floor, legs crossed. He couldn't help but think how cute she looked in her night clothes, but he needed to think, so he looked away.

"Well, about today, I… well, I wanted to say I'm not sorry."

Ooooh... did you catch that? He's NOT sorry!! What will Susie's reaction be to that? R&R, and feel free to post your opinions as to what she'll do.


	4. Issues with Apologies Resolved?

**So, last time Calvin was 'apologizing' to Susie for kissing her, but didn't really apologize. So, how will Susie react to that? Keep reading below to find out.**

**Disclaimer:I don't own Calvin/Hobbes, , the USA, Canada, North America, South America, Europe, Asia, or any other part of the globe, the solar system, galaxy or universe. I own so little i can fit it all into the trunk and back seat of a car [which i don't own] In short-I have no property rights or copyrights to ANYTHING!!!**

"Well, about today, I… well, I wanted to say I wasn't sorry." Susie stared at him.

"What!?!" She hissed it rather loudly, then clapped a hand over her mouth, afraid she'd been to loud. When she had control again, she hissed angrily at him.

"You _aren't_ sorry!? Calvin, you kissed me out of nowhere! On what planet does that make it _okay_ to say you're _not_ sorry!?" He finally looked right at her.

"I'm sorry that I caught you be surprise and everything, but for me, I'm not sorry I kissed you. It was… really nice, and what I really came here to say was… well, that I," he took a breath. "I really like you. That's why I'm not sorry." She stared at him, jaw down, looking into the defiant look in his eyes. She raised a hand to her chest and gripped her shirt above her heart. What did she feel? She needed to know. She closed her eyes, tears starting to form as she tried to figure out what she'd avoided thinking about all day. Finally, she was able to look back at him.

"Calvin, I'm sorry I got mad at you, but the truth, for me, is that I'm not sure how I feel about you."

"Huh? But when we kissed, I felt-" She cut him off.

"You felt right. I know. It felt that way for me, too, but Calvin, the thing is… The one I really like isn't the you who you are, it's the you who you used to be, and right then, you were your old self again, that same boy I'd been looking for for years! He was back! The you you are right now, it's not the Calvin I want! He's too calm! I need the you who has fun all the time, not locks himself in and hides from the world!" She was crying streams as she said this. "Where did you go, Calvin? Where are you hiding yourself? _Why_ are you hiding yourself?!" She buried her face in her hands as she kept crying, but tried to keep the sound of her sobs under control. She kept going for a moment before she felt more weight adding itself to hers on the bed. She looked up and saw Calvin sitting next to her, a great sadness in his eyes.

"Susie, I'm sorry I turned out this way," he said, putting an arm around her. "I lost that part of myself a long time ago. When I lost Hobbes, I lost myself, and I've been trying to bury it away ever since." Susie gasped.

"Hobbes? _Hobbes?!_ You're toy tiger! That's what did this to you?" She asked it, though she was starting to remember now. She had gloried in the pain he'd gone through then, and the change. It had felt great for him to not bother her anymore and stop pulling his pranks. Calvin nodded.

"I know it seemed like he was just a toy, but he… was so much more to me. He was alive, and he was my best friend. We… I did everything with him. He was a part of me, and when I lost him, I lost myself." He looked down at her. "I'm sorry." She shook her head.

"No, I'm sorry that you went through that. I-I loved seeing you suffer and change then, but I really missed that you. I-I still want you back! Can't you come back?" He shrugged.

"I don't know. I can't do it like I used to. Its only in spurts now, small bits of time when I feel like I'm alive… like when I kissed you… but even so, I've tried so hard, but I'm just not able to get it back!" He looked down. "I'm sorry I'm not the guy you want, 'cause I really want you." She looked over at his sad face, and reached over, and kissed him.

Calvin was shocked at first, but gave into the kiss. It wasn't the same as before, though, and they could both feel it. The kiss didn't last long, and Susie looked down in shame.

"I'm sorry; I tried…" Calvin just hugged her. "Maybe, maybe I can fall for both of you," she said. "I… I want to try. Maybe I can help you find yourself again." He smiled.

"Yeah, I'd like that." He stood up. "Right now, though, I gotta go. My mom looks in on me before she heads to bed, and that'll be in about another seven minutes." She walked with him to the window.

"I'll… I'll see you tomorrow," she said as he swung a leg over her window sill. "And, I never said thank-you for the help, so, thanks." He smirked.

"No problem. After all, I'd say you paid me for my services pretty good with that kiss." She wanted to smack him, but she just leaned over and kissed him again. It was good again, yeah. As they pulled away, Calvin got a crazy grin on his face, rolled his eyes to the top of his head, and fell down into the snow.

"CALVIN!" Susie whisper-shrieked down to him. He laid there for a second, then gave her a thumbs up. "Calvin, don't _do_ that!" She hissed. He just waved a hand.

"Sorry, but I was kissed by an angel," he called up. She blushed, mostly from the compliment.

"Well, you better get home or you'll be in trouble," she said.

"Right." He got up and brushed himself off. He looked up at her again before jogging off to his house. "See you tomorrow Susie!" And with that he was off, leaving her to her dark memories of what made him this way.

_I didn't know it would turn out like this. It was only supposed to be a prank to get back at him! I didn't know stealing Hobbes would hurt him this much…_

**Uh-oh! Susie did something BAAAD! So, what is she going to do about it? And did she do with Hobbes anyway? R&R! And don't forget to share with your friends. I really do want feedback, so everything u can give is helpful [except flames, of course; those are just a waste of your time and mine)**


	5. Susie's Secret

**Generic C/H Disclaimer. "When we last left our hero..." Sry, wrong studio! I'll leave now...**

**Okay now that the weirdo's gone, here's the new chapter, and know you get to find out what exactly Susie did.**

_I didn't know it would turn out like this. It was only supposed to be a prank to get back at him! I didn't know stealing Hobbes would hurt him this much…_

They had been so young, and she'd been fed up with the snowballs and the name calling and the pranks. She'd planned it all out, and one day, when he left for the bus stop, she was waiting. She saw him run off, yelling goodbye to Hobbes as his mother rolled her eyes at her lack of goodbye from her son. She closed the door. Susie waited a moment before streaking to the door. She opened it slowly. There, just inside the door, was Hobbes. She knew that he was always there when Calvin was at school because he always pretended that Hobbes attacked him when he got home. She grabbed him and ran back to her house. She already had a chain ready, and he chained her inside her closet, and stuffed him in the corner, then ran to the bus stop. She grinned at Calvin after she got hit by his snowball. Oh he didn't know what was coming! Haha. She had him good this time! The first day he just looked a little put out, but in another day or two, he looked frantic, then depressed. His energy went way down, but he became snappish for a little while. Finally, one day, he got in a fight at school. That was the day his parents had come and talked with him. That was when he'd started to focus on his studies. He became a model student, and now she realized it was to bury his memories of Hobbes, his lost toy tiger, but his greatest treasure. She got off her bed and walked to her closet. She never wore her clothes in that corner, and junk had accumulated over the years. She dug through it and found him. He wasn't even all that dusty. She hugged him to her, and cried.

"Oh, how could I do it!? He'll never forgive me," she cried. But she wanted the old Calvin back so bad… She walked over to her dresser and dug around till she found what she thought was the right key, and walked back over to him. She knelt down and picked him up again and got ready to unlock him from the chain she had attached so long ago. She wasn't even sure when she had forgotten about him, but forgotten she had, until too late, and the boy she had come to love had almost disappeared. She cried so hard, then threw Hobbes and his key back into her closet and threw herself on the bed. She couldn't do it! How he would hate her!! If only there was a way to replace him… She jerked up, and smiled, a little crazily, as she had an idea.

**Sorry its so short, but it just didn't fit in anywhere else. But anyways, what's going on in Susie's head? What is she planning now? And will it fix things? Or will it only make them worse...**

**And before anyone asks, I never could figure out exactly why she felt she had to chain him. Anyone have an idea for why they think she bothered with a chain? [btw, the chail is actually important, I just haven't gotten Susie's reason for using it]**

**Well hey, hope you enjoyed, R&R and share it with your friends, and get them to review! Always looking to improve my writing.**


	6. The Gift

**Generic C/H Disclaimer. So, what was that crazy idea that Susie got last night? How is she going to deal with what she did yo Hobbes? Keep reading below to find out.**

The next morning at the bus stop was pretty normal. He almost threw a snowball back at her this time, but he ended up just shrugging, and apologized. He just wasn't in the mood, he said. She fumed as she went to stand beside him, hanging her hands on her pockets by her thumbs. He surprised her by reaching over to hold her hand as they waited. After her initial surprise, she went ahead and leaned into him. After all, he was going to get Hobbes back. He would be the old Calvin again soon.

After school she headed over to the mall. She'd told her parents that she was going to do some shopping before heading home with some friends. Since it was Friday, they were okay with it. She looked all over the mall, but had no luck. Fortunately, one of the stores had free internet, and she browsed for toy tigers. It took a while, but she finally found the one she was looking for, and it was at a shop not far from the mall! She ran over and quickly found it. She bought it, and hugged it tightly. She was getting her old Calvin back!

"Calvin! Susie's at the door for you," called out Calvin's mom. Calvin jerked in surprise as he sat doing his homework. Susie was there? Why?

"Can you send her up here mom? I wanna stay in homework mode!"

"Alright, just make sure to get it all done, k?"

"Sure mom!"

"Well, I guess you get to see Calvin's room. It's a lot cleaner than it was last time you went up there." His mom chuckled. "It's been years since he had a dirty room. It's been kind of nice. Go ahead."

"Thank-you," Susie replied, feeling a slight twinge of guilt. It was for several reasons, but she needed to do what she needed to do. She trembled slightly as she walked up the stairs. It was true; it _had_ been a long time since she'd been in the house. The last time any part of her had gone inside was when… but she was fixing that today.

"Hey Calvin," she said, sticking her head in his room. He was sitting cross legged in his chair with a math book on his desk. He was also reclining with his hands behind his head, but he turned and smiled at her.

"Hey Susie; what's up?" She walked into the room, hands behind her back.

"Well, after what you said last night, I did some thinking, and, well, I spent all afternoon looking for it, and, well, I found something for you," she said, holding her hands out in front of her with a lumpy looking package. Calvin quirked an eyebrow.

"Hmm… this looks interesting…" He reached forward and took it. It was soft and fluffy.

"Go on, open it," Susie said with a smile. He went ahead and ripped the wrapping open, and what he saw began to form tears in his eyes.

"It's, its…"

"Isn't it perfect!" Calvin slowly lowered the toy tiger into his lap, tears now fully in his eyes.

"It's not Hobbes," he said quietly, knowing how much it would hurt her. He could already tell why she'd gotten it for him. It seemed like the perfect way to get him back to his old self, but while this was the same exact stuffed tiger as Hobbes had been, he knew it wasn't Hobbes, and never could be, but how could her tell Susie the truth about Hobbes?

"Wha-what?" As he had expected, Susie's face was full of surprise, and very sad. He didn't like to see her that way.

"Well, I know it looks like Hobbes, but Hobbes was… special." He looked away. "I'm sorry; I know this isn't the reaction you wanted, but it's just…" Now she was crying. She flung herself onto him as she sobbed.

"I-I tried so hard! I wanted you to really be happy again! To be your old self! I- I thought that if I could…" she broke off, sobbing too hard to speak.

"Shhh, shhh," he whispered, running his fingers through her hair. "it's alright, don't worry." He hating seeing her cry like this. He needed to come up with something, but what? He lost that part of himself so long ago… What did he used to do back then?

"Hey, Susie, I want to take you somewhere, okay?" She looked up, tears still coming down her face, but ready to listen. "I think you'll enjoy it," he said, and she saw a glint in his eyes. She swallowed her tears, wiped her eyes, and forced a smile.

"Okay, let's go," she said.

**Hmm, what's this? Where could Calvin possibly be planning on taking Susie? What do you think? R&R and share!**


	7. Fun With Calvin and Susie

**Generic C/H Disclaimer. **

**Update from last time: Susie failed in an attempt to get Calvin back to his old self by getting him a new stuffed tiger that looked just like Hobbes, and now Calvin is trying to cheer her up. What's he gonna do?**

"Okay, let's go," she said.

"Great! I'll meet you outside." She nodded, and walked down the stairs and out the front door. A few moments later, she heard Calvin calling out to his mom.

"Hey mom? I'm going out for a little while, okay?"

"Is your homework done?"

"Just about; I only have a few math problems left, and I'll finish them as soon as I get back, I promise!" She could imagine very easily his mother's sigh.

"Fine, just make sure you're not out too long!"

"Alright! Love you mom!"

"You too honey!" And with that last remark, Calvin came out the door and grabbed her hand.

"Come on, you'll love it!" He said, pulling her off to the woods he and Hobbes used to play in. He walked her across the same old log they used to cross, helping her keep her balance, then up the hill they used to ride his wagon on. The old board they used to use as a sled during the winter was still there.

"Where are we going, Calvin?"

"Just a second," he said, letting go of her hand, "and close your eyes!"

"Why?" He looked at her with puppy dog eyes.

"Please? Just for a minute?" She gave an exasperated sigh.

"Fine! I'll cover my eyes." And she did. She heard him rustling around in the snow and bushes, and then he walked up to her again.

"Okay, now sit down right here… that's it; okay, good to go," he said, sitting behind her and grabbing her. She opened her eyes in surprise.

"Hey! Just what do you think you're doOOOOOIIIIIINNNG!" She ended up screaming and clutched his arms that were wrapped around her and as they were suddenly flying down the slope. Calvin was laughing his head off behind her, and it was a wild and crazy laugh, and, as it turned out, infectious. She was laughing with him within seconds as they flew down the long slope. It had been so long since either of them had sledded, however, that they fell off of it before the bottom and ended up rolling in the snow, still holding each other and laughing. It took a minute or two after stopping for them to catch their breaths, and Susie managed to say:

"That-was-so-much-fun!"

"Hahaa! That was the point!" She stood up.

"Let's go again!" They raced to the wooden board and raced back up the slope with it. They screamed and laughed each time, and regained their old edge, managing to stay on the board till it cruised to a stop. After about sex or seven goes (they weren't keeping track) Susie was excitedly setting up the next go when she got a face full of snow.

"AHHH!!! COLD! Calvin! I'll get you," she screamed hysterically, blindly reaching behind her to where he'd reached around to stuff the snow in her face. She managed to grab him, and soon they were rolling down the hill without the sled, vainly trying to tickle each other through their winter clothes.

Finally they came to a stop, and Calvin was on top once again. They were laughing too hard to do anything for a little while, but soon they calmed down and managed to just smile and look at each other's faces.

"Thank-you," Susie said, feeling much better than she did before. Calvin smirked.

"Ahh, and here I haven't even kissed you yet," he said.

"Well, then, you'd better hurry it up, of I might just-" but Calvin would never know what she might have done, because he didn't wait for her to finish her sentence. He had moved one hand behind her head and raised her face up to meet his. The kiss was long and tender, much like their first one, but this time, they were expecting it, and there was no bell to ruin it. They didn't know how long they were there, only that they hated the moments when they had to stop and take a breath in between kisses. After a while, though, they knew they needed to get back inside and warm up, even though they didn't want to admit it.

"Hey, beautiful, I know snow angels are pretty cool, but I'd rather have a Susie angel that's nice and warm than a frozen one." She giggled.

"Ah, Calvin, since when was I ever an angel." He looked down at her.

"The moment you let me love you," he said. She gasped, hearing those words, and had no idea what to say. He grinned and got up. "Come on, let me walk you home." She took his hand and held onto him, but she was crying again. She was no angel, and she knew it. But would he ever know?

Calvin smiled. It had been a great evening, even if he had made it a bit awkward by telling her that. He knew it was harder for her since he wasn't his old self all the time. Still, she'd managed to get him to get to it more often. He did still have that little bit of extra math homework, though, and his mom was already getting on his case to finish it, and wondering where'd he'd been. He was in a euphoria, though, and could only shrug and grin. As he reclined in his chair, he couldn't remember being so happy since he'd last been with Hobbes. Susie was good for him, he decided. He was starting to get some real fun again. He jumped as he heard a strange scratching on his window. He smiled, imagining Susie coming over like he had the other night, but the smile fell from his face as he looked over and saw that nothing human was scratching his window. Whatever it was, it had long, sharp claws…

**Ooooh, scary! What do you think? Any thoughts on how you think I could make this story better? R&R and share!**


	8. The Story of Hobbes

**Generic C/H Disclaimer.**

**So now we're taking an alternative POV in the story line. R&R, please!**

Hobbes had no idea what Susie was going to do that day she reached in and grabbed him from Calvin's house. If he had known, he would have fought it instead of acting as his normal self that everyone else saw. But when she chained him in her closet, it was too late. He had struggled for days to try and get out, stretched his chain as far as it could go, and clawed with all his might, but nothing worked. He couldn't break free. He would have to wait for Susie to release him. So, he waited. Days became weeks, weeks became months, and months became years. He cried all the tears he had, and simply crouched in the corner Susie had stowed him in, clutching his knees, as things slowly piled in on him. Most of the time he would sleep and dream of the fun days he and Calvin had shared, but soon even his dreams were invaded by reality most of the time. There was no escaping his prison. He suffered in silence, slowly loosing all hope. Then, one day, he heard a voice; it was faint, but oddly familiar. It was Calvin's voice, but not, talking with Susie. He groaned in despair, thinking that his dreams had taken another cruel twist, but some minutes later, he heard digging going on the closet, and slowly, he began to be able to see. Who was this girl? Susie, he realized, but much older. About sixteen or seventeen, and much sadder looking he decided. But why was she hugging him?

"Oh, how could I do it!? He'll never forgive me," she cried. It was then that Hobbes began to realize that he had not been dreaming; Calvin had been there! Only feet away! Hobbes felt his hopes rise and fall in a mere instant. So close, but how could he have reached him? Now it was too late, and he would probably never get the chance again. Susie would get rid of him to hide the evidence… but wait… was that the key? His hopes skyrocketed. She was going to set him free! Finally, he could go back to Calvin! No! Not back in the closet! His hopes fell again, and all he could do was listen to her sobbing as he fell into despair again, and he let sleep overtake him.

Unfortunately sleep decided to review for him the events of the day, but in a much crueler manner. Now Hobbes screamed for Calvin, seeing him in plain sight, but Calvin could hear nothing. Susie taunted him with the key, staring at him as she hugged his Calvin, and Calvin still had no idea. Susie put the key in the lock and freed him, only for him to discover that there was another, stronger lock underneath it! She laughed cruelly and tossed him and the key back into the never ending darkness in the closet… wait… the key?!?

Hobbes shot awake. It was day time. The disturbance of things in the closet made it so he could see, now. Maybe he could find the key after all… He looked for what seemed like hours, moving for the first time in years. It hurt to move, his muscles were so ragged and stale. Finally, he found the key, but it seemed like it took another hour for him to manage to properly fit the key into the key hole. Finally, however, his efforts were rewarded with what seemed like a resounding click, and the chain fell from around his neck. Now, he had to get out of Susie's house and make his way back to Calvin…

**Okay, thanks for reading and, again, please R&R! Thank-you, and hope you enjoyed!**


	9. Secret Revealed?

**Generic C/H Disclaimer.**

**So, i really wanted to split these sections up for suspense, but none of them were NEAR long enough, so maybe you could read then pause [you know, go eat a sandwich, play Halo, do h/w or something][lol] Anyways, hope you like. Also, I thought all the readers would want to know that we're officially halfway done! So, we'll see how many chapters the rest of this splits into.**

Susie slowly closed the door, saying good-bye to Calvin. She smiled, resting her back to the door, thinking about how great the day had been. Her present had failed, but at the same time, succeeded. Calvin had found his old self again, if only for a little while. It was obvious that he'd been in a good mood on the way back, and she hadn't minded letting him hold her hand, but she could feel the difference. After they had started walking back, he'd reverted to his usual self. Still, it had all been worth it. Maybe, just maybe, he would be able to find himself again without Hobbes…

She went up to her room after grabbing a snack and vaguely answering her parents questions about her day. She found herself confused when she got to her room, though. Had she forgotten to close the window that morning? And why hadn't her mom closed it if she had?

.

.

.

Calvin almost bolted to his mom to tell her, but something made him approach the window, albeit cautiously. The claws continued to scratch, but they barely left any marks. Calvin had a feeling that the thing, whatever it was, was either really weak, or didn't really want to break his window. As he slowly moved close enough to look down, he almost screamed as he saw the striped face and fell backwards. It looked like a tiger! But wait… tigers didn't look quite like that, not in reality. He looked over at his bed, where they toy that resembled Hobbes still lay, unmoving and void of life. His eyes widened. He jumped back up and ripped the window open. The striped face looked up at him, ragged and so hopeless looking. The two whispered together:

"Hobbes?" "Calvin?"

.

.

.

Calvin managed to sneak downstairs to get a couple sandwiches for Hobbes to eat, along with a glass of milk. While being a living toy made it so that you didn't need food altogether, living still meant you needed some, at least, to really function. In Hobbes' condition, Calvin was surprised, but please, that he'd managed to climb to Calvin's window. After pulling him in and putting him on the bed, that's when Calvin had left to get him food, already able to tell that it was hard for him to move and talk, but now Hobbes was able to shift himself up to a sitting position, and Calvin thought he was ready.

"So, it's been a while, Hobbes." Hobbes nodded slowly as he chewed his sandwich. Calvin scratched his head and laughed a little. "Feels kinda weird, huh? Talking after all this time? It's been about ten years, buddy. What happened? Where'd you go?" Hobbes slowly chewed and swallowed.

"You and Susie like each other a lot, huh?" Calvin jerked, surprised by the question.

"What? How'd you know that?" Hobbes looked at him sadly.

"I heard the two of you talking," he said. Calvin trembled.

"When? Where? How?" Hobbes looked away, not wanted to see Calvin's face when he told him.

"I've been chained in Susie's closet for ten years now," he said. Even in his peripheral, he could see Calvin's face drop, and he could almost feel his own heart drop with it.

**WOAH! Bombshell! So, here's a question: Calvin's reaction. Will he try and deny it? Will he kick Hobbes out? Will he run over to Susie and beg her to tell him it's not true? Will he nervously laugh it off? Will he accept it immediately? Will he try to pretend it never happened and try not to think about it? Will he just casually ask Susie? Who knows? Only me right now! Unless someone gives me a good enough idea to change the story line with.**

**Also, I did a quick calculation, and it looks like about 9 more updates, and I just may have an epilogue for you! What say you?**


	10. Reactions

**Generic C/H Disclaimer.**

**NOW we get to see what Calvin does about Hobbes' revelation. Just as a recap, since it's been a few days since i last updated, C and S are now in HS and have been discovering that they kinda like each other. Calvin, however, is much more serious than he used to be due to the loss of Hobbes about ten years ago. It turns out that Susie had gotten fed up with Calvin's pranks and decided to pull a doozy by stealing Hobbes. Now she's been afraid that Calvin will find out. Turns out Hobbes always was real and he just escaped Susie's closet, where he had lain long forgotten, and now he's revealed to Calvin what Susie did. So like i said, now we get to see Calvin's reaction to Hobbes' revelation.**

Susie smiled as she woke up. Every day was starting to seem beautiful. She had had a wonderful dream where she was with Calvin, and he was just like his old self the whole time. They had a ball! There was laughing and shrieking and tickling and teasing all through her dreams, and she couldn't help but be happy. She knew that her time with Calvin would likely yield few moments like that, but she had decided that it was worth it for those few times. Yes, she could love both Calvins. Even if he wasn't his old self all the time, he was still _himself_ ALL the time.

Humming, she got up and dressed herself, ready for the weekend. It was much to her surprise when her mom told her that Calvin was at the door. She yelled that she'd be right there, and quickly grabbed her coat and boots and rushed to meet him. She almost stopped dead in her tracks when she saw his face. It was the most depressed since she'd seen him loose Hobbes. She managed a little smile, though, and went out, closing the door behind her.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" He asked, voice deadpan and without emotion.

"Sure," she said warily. "Are you okay?" He shook himself and gave a slight smile.

"I guess. Just had a little surprise I wanted to talk with you about."

"Oh," she said. "Okay. Well, let's walk then." He nodded and started to go. She looked at his back in surprise that he didn't reach to hold her hand, but she jogged to reach him and held onto his arm. She felt him flinch, and she looked at his face, now wearing a pained expression, and had to ask again.

"Calvin? What's wrong?" He just muttered something she couldn't hear and they kept walking. They reached the edge of the woods and he stopped and looked around. Then he pulled himself away from her.

"Susie, I need to talk with you about something; something important." She nodded, now very worried for her boyfriend; at least, that was something she'd been planning on deciding with him today. He ran a hand through his spiky hair. "Susie, last night, I talked with an old friend that I haven't seen in years. Not since we were kids. He told me… he told me that another friend had done something… mean to me, and was still doing it, and I'd never known. What should I do, Susie? What should I do about this friend." Susie felt a little chill go up her spine. She was remembering Hobbes, but there was no way anyone else knew about that, and he'd only told her how much it affected him.

"I-I think you should talk about them with it, see if they really knew it was hurting you, first. Then, well, I guess you figure why they did it, and either keep being friends or stop." She looked at him. "Who is it? The one that's hurting you?" Tears sprang to his eyes.

"Susie, do you really need to ask that question? You knew, and still…" He shook his head and she stared, not quite getting it. Who was it? He looked up and started walking away.

"Wait! What's going on?! Where are you going?!?" He didn't even look back.

"I'm doing what you suggested; I'm stopping being friends with you. Good-bye." He ducked his head and fought to hold back the tears as he walked away. Meanwhile, Susie sank to her knees in the snow. It had dawned on her that he did know. Somehow, it had come to light, and he knew. She screamed in agony, then laid her face in her hands and wept the greatest racking sobs she ever had.

Later, she made it home and ran upstairs, still crying, much to the mystification of her parents. She slammed her door shut and flung herself on the bed, and continued to cry and scream at her parents to leave her alone. Her heart had broken. What else was left to her now?

**OUCH!!!! That's gotta hurt, don't you think? **

**So, was I a little too harsh on her? Should Calvin have tried to patch things up? Should he have broken up with her differently? Should she have seen it coming? Honestly, I real _would_ like yo hear your thoughts. It gives me a better insight for future writings. R&R please! And have a good week! :)**


	11. The News

**Generic C/H Disclaimer.**

**So, this begins to show the _extended_ reactions. I mean, Susie comes home crying her heart out, and you think no one will notice? Oh, they noticed, but we'll be looking at Calvin's side of it first. Hey, do I hear a phone ringing?**

Calvin trudged home. He heard her scream, but closed his ears to it. His heart had broken last night when he learned what she had done to his best friend. He could almost see the scars on Hobbes' soul from those years of captivity, and he knew it wasn't in malice that Hobbes' had told him what happened to him. It was ironic, though, that the moment he gained his best friend back, he seemed to lose his old self once again. And it was all because of the girl he loved, no, a girl he had _thought_ he loved, that he had to go through any of it in the first place.

He plopped down on his chair and tossed over a sandwich he had made Hobbes before heading back up to his room. His math book still sat on his desk, the problems undone. He couldn't work right now. His heart had been raised and smashed in too short a period to be able to concentrate. Hobbes quietly ate the sandwich, letting Calvin be alone. Even if he had experienced an excess of aloneness, he knew when Calvin needed it.

Calvin could hear the phone ring downstairs. He heard his mom pick it up, but didn't hear anything that she said. Soon, though, she came up to his room and knocked on his door.

"Calvin?" He looked over at her.

"Yeah mom?" She was shocked by the look on his face. She felt the suspicions were confirmed.

"Calvin, Susie's mom just called. She's in hysterics. She said you and Susie went out a little bit ago, and that when Susie came back, she was crying her eyes out. Now she's refusing to talk to her parents. They're worried." She looked at her son's forlorn figure again. He was even still wearing his coat. "Calvin, what happened?" He shrugged. "Don't give me that, Calvin! What happened between you and Susie! Please!" He looked away.

"She wasn't the friend I thought she was," he said.

"What? How so? And how does that lead to her crying her heart out?" She could see her son tense up and close his eyes.

"We kissed, but it didn't mean what I thought it did." His mom held a hand to her mouth.

"What?! You kissed her?! What else did you do!?!?"

"Nothing, mom. We only kissed. I promise. It's just that I found out that she isn't really a friend."

"How could you say that!? Did you not just hear what I told you? She's over at her house crying her heart out and refusing to talk to anyone! Obviously you mean more to her than you think!"

"An act," he said, finally looking at his mom again. "Can I be alone for a little while, please?" His mom stood there fuming for a moment before giving in.

"Fine, but we're talking more about this later!" she warned him. He shrugged. As she closed the door she hoped that maybe a little time would help him to see things better and more clearly. In the mean time, she needed to get back to Susie's mom.

Hobbes, meanwhile, finished his sandwich and was thinking on what his old friend was going through.

**Ouch, that's pretty cold. Is this really Calvin? And what _exactly_ is Hobbes thinking? Is he happy or not? Does he want revenge on Susie, or does he want to help her? Or is it something else enterily and I just get my jollies off of confusing people? [granted, it _is_ pretty fun...)**

**Thanks for Reading; please review, and I hope you're enjoying!**


	12. Misconception

**Generic C/H Disclaimer.**

**sorry this one is so short. I just like keeping the incidents separate, you know? Anyways, this is now back to Susie and her family. Someone's upset...**

There was a pounding on her door. It was her father.

"Open up, Susie! Right now! Young lady, we obviously need to have a talk! Right-now! Come on, open up! You're going to tell me exactly how many times you slept with that good for nothing Calvin, and then I'm getting the police on the phone and sending his arse to jail!"

"Honey! I've been assured by his mom that nothing happened-"

"HA! As if he'd fess up! Just look what he did to our girl! He's obviously manipulated her into giving her heart to him so she'd sleep with him, and now she's too scared to tell us!"

"Honey! Please! Calvin's not the kind of boy-"

"Not the kind of boy?! Don't you remember how much trouble he got into what he was a kid?! Did you really think he'd changed?! NO! I saw through it the moment he started this act! He's been pretending this whole time just so he can be a little snot and no one would suspect him! And now-"

However, the continuous insults at Calvin had been more than Susie could take. She flew out of her room and started to actually beat her fists on her dad's chest.

"How _dare_ you say that about him! How _DARE_ you! Calvin isn't like that! We've never had sex, and he was never pretending! He is who he is, and that's the way I love him!" Her father grabbed her arms, surprised by his intensity.

"Susie dear, he's obviously messed with you head! Don't worry, we can take care of all that! I'll make sure that he never hurts you again! I'll-"

"You don't get it," she screamed. "I'm not the one who was hurt by him! I'm the one who hurt _him_!!! It's _my_ fault! _Mine_! If I hadn't done it, then nothing would have happened! He never would have changed! He never would have gotten so boring! We could have had fun all the time! But I was mad, and I took it! I took that stupid toy tiger! And now he found out! He found out, and now he hates me and its all my fault!" She just kept crying, not able to say anything else. Her parents looked at each other in surprise. It sounded like Susie said she had stolen Calvin's old toy, that tiger he'd been so attached to. But could all that really do this much.

"I-I'll, I'll take her back to her room," her father said, picking her up.

"Right, and I need to talk with Calvin's mother again." He nodded then went in to lay his daughter gently on her bed. He pulled the shade down so that her room was dark, and then gently closed the door, leaving her in darkness with no sound but her sobs.

**Wow, close one for Calvin, huh? He almost got into big trouble with Susie's dad, and trouble with the girl's dad is NEVER good! But how will everyone else react to all this happening b/c of a stupid toy tiger?**

**Thanks for Reading; please review, and I hope you're enjoying!**


	13. A Mother and Son Talk

**Generic C/H Disclaimer.**

**again, short.. Sry! Still, hope you like this little update. I should have this updated tonight sometime [that is, the night of Sat March 6] Now... do i hear another phone ringing?**

"What? She said that? Really? He never… uh-hu… alright. Yes, I'll see what I can get from him." Calvin's mom hung up the phone in shock. She remembered quite well the day Calvin had come home to find his toy tiger Hobbes missing. He just talked about how Hobbes probably went to hunt or something, but she and his father had stayed up trying to figure out what had happened. They both remembered it being left by the door like usual, and they looked all around for it that night and the next day.

Calvin's mood had slowly degraded, and she could barely get him to move around the house or even eat! He had become more and more depressed until that one day he got into a fight with that one bully at school and almost hospitalized him! That was when they took him aside and talked about how he couldn't keep living like a kid. Hobbes was just a toy that had gone missing, and he needed to grow up! Now she began to wonder, and she walked up the stairs. She knocked on Calvin's door and walked in. Now she looked around. On the floor she saw a brand new tiger that looked just like Hobbes, and some wrapping in the trashcan next to Calvin's desk. She also saw a much older tiger with some familiar stains on it sitting on Calvin's bed. She pointed at it.

"Is that…" he looked over to his bed where she was point and answered.

"Yeah; that's Hobbes."

"Susie had him?" Calvin jumped.

"What? Who told you that?" She sighed. She could tell by his tone that it was true.

"Her father was screaming at her about calling the cops on you for raping her, and she yelled about how you hadn't and that it was her fault what happened today because you found out about her taking Hobbes." He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Yeah, so?"

"SO?! That's all you have to say? All she had to do was say the word and you'd be headed to jail with me not being able to do a thing about it! It's a toy for Pete's sake! Is it really worth losing her?!" Now he jumped up.

"I told her what it was like to lose him and she still kept him! She even tried to fake another one on me to change me! What kind of a friend is that, mom!? Huh!? What kind of a friend keeps something like that from you once you've told them how much it hurt!" His mom looked at him sadly and sighed.

"One who loves you so much that they don't want to risk losing you. Think about it." She left, closing the door behind her.

**So, what the conversation between mother and son, huh? Funny she didn't notice the tiger's when she came up into his room earlier, huh? Of course, I think she was a little more concerned about other things, and I think we've all missed something obvious when we were focusing on something else. If anyone gets the chance, what do you speculate Hobbes is going to say to Calvin after this?**

**Hope you're enjoying, please review as well as read! It fills me with warm fuzzies when I get reviews! :) :) :)**

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	14. Lies

**Generic C/H Disclaimer.**

**Now we finally see what Hobbes really thinks about this whole thing, and what he thinks Calvin should do. R&R! :)**

"An act, all an act," he said, over and over again. She had to be faking it; she was just trying to make him come back and act stupid for her all over again. "All an act-"

"Calvin, stop it." Calvin looked up in shock to look at Hobbes, still a ghost of his former self. "She isn't faking it."

"What, are you on her side now? After everything she did to you?" Hobbes took a long drink of water from his cup, and gently put it down. He was beginning to get back his old strength. That night of real rest after that food had done him a lot of good, and so had the food today.

"No, I'm on your side, and I want you to be happy."

"But I've got you again! How could I not be happy?" Hobbes looked over at him, finally.

"Happy? You haven't smiled since last night right when you saw me again; before I told you about Susie." Calvin looked away.

"I'll get over it."

"You're lying." Calvin looked over his shoulder back at Hobbes.

"No, I'm not." Hobbes tapped his nose as he replied.

"Yes, you are. You can't fool a tiger; I know."

"Yeah? Well what makes you think she isn't?"

"I went over there and saw her when her dad was saying he'd call the cops on you. She wasn't lying, and besides, no actor is that good. She doesn't even have any tears left, Calvin, and she's still crying. An actor wouldn't cry that long. She loves you." Calvin snorted.

"No, she loves getting at me. She loved stealing you and making me miserable; she loved trying to make me into something I'm not anymore; something I haven't been since I lost you."

"Calvin, stop lying to yourself. We both know she was trying to make you happy and help you turn back into something you _want_ to be. I heard you both that night you climbed up her window. I didn't think about too well before, but I can remember it now; she decided to try and love a you that she wasn't sure she could love, and after you left, she went and dug me out. She almost unlocked me right then, but thinking about how you would hate her, she couldn't bring herself do it, knowing that you would know. She loves you." Calvin looked down.

"They why could she not say it? Tell me that."

"Maybe she never had the right chance." Calvin's eyes looked over his unfinished math. He remembered how she looked giving him that silly little tiger, and her despair when it didn't work out. He remembered sledding with her, and he remembered their first kiss. She hadn't planned any of that; there was no way; and what about what he had felt?

Then Calvin shook his head and started doing his math again. He buried himself in school to forget his misery, and Hobbes shook his head.

.

.

.

Susie still lay in her bed. Her sobs were dry, but she could do nothing but cry. It was a pain she had never known before, having her heart ripped out, and knowing it was her fault. She didn't even care who had found out about Hobbes and told Calvin. It was still her fault. If only she had had the guts to give him back right when she remembered… but now it was too late. She jumped when she heard a thump on her window. She stared at it, not sure if she had imagined it. Then there it was again, another thump, and she slowly made her way to the window, trembling as she went. It was too much to hope for. She looked out and saw nothing at first, then saw a message in the snow.

_We need to talk; come over to my place;_

_-c_

She looked around. Why couldn't she see him? Her heart was pounding in her chest. Was he really going to give her a second chance? Or was this just to clarify how deeply she had betrayed him? Could she stand it if that was it? She didn't care. She would go, but she would keep her heart broken. If it was still broken, then it couldn't break much more now, could it?

**Hope you enjoyed. Let me know, if u would...please? What do you think of this new development? Did Calvin really decide to talk with her again, or is Hobbes up to something? Tune in next time as we near the end of our story!**


	15. Make it or Break it

**Generic C/H Disclaimer.**

**So, we're almost done! I've only got one 'chapter' left to add. Thank-you to all the readers who have been going along with this story, my first real fanfic. Hope you enjoy the new chapter! :)**

Calvin was still leaned over his homework, though to be honest, it wasn't actually homework now. Now he was about three chapters ahead, trying to learn stuff the teacher wouldn't be going over for another three weeks. Then he heard the click. He looked over at his door to see Hobbes locking it. In answer to his confusion Hobbes just shrugged.

"To make sure we're alone when company arrives," he said. Calvin just got more confused, then noticed the snow now on his floor by the window.

"Hobbes, where did you go?" He sat down on the bed.

"Making sure my best friend can be happy, and try and get him to forgive."

"Hobbes, what-" but then there was a knock on his window. He froze. He could tell who it was by the hand. Only one person had a hand that beautiful, even if she was liar. She knocked on his window again, and outside, she began to feel her heart breaking again, even though she had tried to keep it from happening, had tried to keep from hoping too much, it was breaking, wondering if he'd changed his mind. Then, back in side, Calvin slumped, resigned to what Hobbes had done, and reached over and turned off his light, then headed to let Susie in. He stuck his head out and looked down. She wasn't even wearing a coat.

"You shouldn't have come; you'll catch pneumonia."

"You asked, so I came." She wondered why he looked a little shocked, but took the proffered hand, even if he didn't look at her, and climbed in. She clutched herself and rubbed her arms to try and warm up as Calvin closed the window again. He kept looking outside after the window was closed, and neither talked for several minutes.

"So, you said we needed to talk," she said, trying to keep her voice level and un shaking. "What did you want to talk about." He didn't answer for a minute.

"I'm not sure." He finally turned around. "Why? Why did you take him in the first place?" Susie looked down.

"I-I thought I hated you. I was tired of snowballs, and rocks, and all your other pranks, and I wanted to get back at you with one big blow; I wanted to hurt you so bad you'd never prank me again. Then, I forgot." She had to stifle a sob. "I forgot what I had done, and he lay there in a corner in my closet, and I forgot and did nothing." Now her face not only looked down, but she completely hung her head, holding herself tight, but no longer out of a need to get warm. "I'm sorry." She sobbed quietly. Calvin could barely hear her. He wanted to reach out, but he kept telling himself it was a lie.

"Why didn't you give him back? You knew! I told you how important he was to me! You knew!"

"I know, I know," she sobbed, falling to her knees. "I tried, I really did! I almost did it! But then, then I thought how you would hate me; hate me for doing it in the first place, then hate me for forgetting and revealing that I had done it. I was so afraid of you hating me, but then it happened anyways! You found out, and now you hate me anyways! And it's all my fault!" Her sobs became so great now that she couldn't talk anymore. Still Calvin held himself in. It was all an act, it was all an act.

"You're lying to yourself again," he heard. He opened his eyes and looked over at Hobbes, his eyes glowing in the dark. 'You're lying to yourself again," he whispered, "but she isn't. Help her, she needs you." Finally the tears came to Calvin's eyes and he fell to his own knees. Oh it hurt so much! Even now he could feel as she felt and he cursed himself for his stoniness. It would take a little while to forgive her completely, but Hobbes was right; she wasn't lying, and he had known it the whole time.

He walked over to her on his knees, then reached around her, and closed his arms to hug her. She gasped, and then cried all the more, but he could hear the difference in her sobs now as he held her tightly and gently whispered to her as he had the day before over her failed present. She reached around him and held him, too. Sometime later, they made it too the bed and curled up together, just holding each other. They could both feel that it wasn't a kissing time. Right now they just needed to hold each other. Calvin didn't even notice Hobbes' absence from the bed, nor did he notice as the door was unlocked by him he then settled himself on Calvin's desk with the other toy tiger next to him.

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**.**

**.**

Later, waking up to get a drink of water and noticing that Calvin's light was finally off, Calvin's mom peeped in his room. She almost gasped, but kept herself quiet. They were perfectly alright. She quietly crossed the room to look at them more closely. They were smiling in their sleep, and she knew that they managed to patch things up. She smiled, thinking, _now maybe he'll realize that we parents actually have good advice from time to time_. As she walked out, she noticed both tigers sitting on the desk, and smiled even more. That seemed like a good thing to her. She quietly closed the door and went to get her water. She would just tell Susie's parents that she'd come over early that morning and that the two had patched things up. It was pretty certain that they'd call, after all, and Susie and Calvin looked so cute cuddled up like that that she didn't have the heart to wake them up and embarrass them just yet with being caught. Though she thought she might have to get a new lock for Calvin's window, just in case.

**Okay, so i know that it _looks_ like this is the end, but I promise, there's still something they need to talk about. I'm going to wait a couple days before updating the final chapter to see if anyone can correctly guess what it is that Calvin and Susie need to talk about. Hint:they almost talked about it in an earlier chapter.**

**Alright, have a go at it! And again, thank-you to everyone who has commented or been reading this story. I really appreciate it. Enjoy the week!**

**CaptainFlye**


	16. Morning Confession

**Generic C/H Disclaimer.**

**So, here it is! The last chapter. :) What's that? Why have I not changed the story status to completed? Because I'm going to post an epilouge in a couple of days [after I recover from my micro test i was woefully under prepared for... yet still got an 80 on... go figure.)**

**Anyways, It was kinda fun to see a couple ideas people had for what the thing was that C&S were going to talk about. Going back to reference the chapter the conversation almost happened in, I realized that somehow it hadn't gotten edited for the post, but in chapter 10, if you look at Susie's thoughts, and read this chapter, you'll see it [of course, it's not like I'm going to tell you at the end of the chapter anyways... ;P ] Anywho, I will be reediting chapter 10 to put in the thought where Susie actually thinks to us that she's going to tell him.**

**Thank-you to all my readers and reviewers, even my most recent reviewer, Star. Now i've got to go back and reanalyze my writing style to see if they're right and I'm just blinded by pride in my own work.**

**Well, enough talking, I'm sure you're getting sick of me. Enjoy!**

**[oh, side note i forgot to add the first time: it's my mission birthday today! {mission birthday is a kinda of joke} I came back home from my mission 2 years ago, and I miss and love the people I served. Anyways, I actualy updated today b/c of that. I was going to wait a full week, but I decided this would be a good mission birthday present. hehe.]**

As predicted, Susie's parents called early the next morning, but Calvin's mom quickly smoothed things over and said that Susie had been invited to stay over for breakfast. Susie's dad hadn't exactly been happy, but he was satisfied enough to not drag her home just yet.

Susie and Calvin, meanwhile, slept a good while, Calvin waking up first. He yawned and stretched, careful not to wake up Susie. He sat up and noticed Hobbes motioning to the floor in front of the door. There was a sheet of paper. After a little silent convincing, Hobbes jumped down and got it for him. It was a note from his mom.

_Calvin  
For when you and Susie wake up, I'm making pancakes, biscuits, and sausage. I already told her parents that she'd been invited to stay for breakfast, so don't you disappoint me.  
-mom  
ps-I'm glad you two made up. You look really cute together._

Calvin blushed. His mom had seen them? When? How? Hadn't Hobbes locked the door? But then, hadn't Hobbes been sitting on the bed? He looked over to see the door unlocked and Hobbes pointedly looking the other way. Calvin gave him a death stare anyways. Just then, he felt Susie stir and looked down at her beautiful face.

"Morning angel," he said.

"Mmmmmm. Morning blondie." He chuckled.

"Sleep good?"

"Yeah, the best! How could I not when I'm sleeping next to the one I love." She must have felt him stiffen because she looked up at him. His face was surprised. "What? What's wrong?"

"You, you love me? But I thought you loved the other me?" She looked down again and just cuddled him.

"I decided the other night that I did love you, when I heard you say you loved me. I separated you into two people, and I was wrong. You were always one person, but I never saw that. The Calvin I love is one person, always together, different all the time. I just didn't see it." With a hand on her face as he stroked her cheek, he could feel her blush. "I was going to tell you that yesterday, before all that crazy stuff happened. Also, I was uh- I was going to ask if you'd be okay if we made it official that we're boyfriend and girlfriend." He laughed.

"Well, that will make it easier for breakfast this morning," he said. She looked up at him, confused, and then he handed her the note. As she read it, her face was shocked.

"You mean, your mom, saw us, like this?!" He scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, guess so. I thought I'd locked the door, but hey, I guess accidents happen!" They were both blushing.

"Well, guess we'd better get going," she said. He nodded, and as they got up and headed to the door, he took her hand, and pulled her back for a kiss. She melted right into it and enjoyed it for a moment before pulling away. As he put on a pouting face she just replied. "Hey, don't give me that! We have a lot more time to be doing that! We have a lifetime to do that, and more!" He grinned and they went downstairs to eat breakfast in what would become a Sunday tradition for years to come, and he didn't let go of her hand the whole time. Good thing it was her left hand.

The End

**Yup, it was about the 'L' word. Love. I know personally that we often assume we're in love at that age but really aren't. Long time crushes, infatuation, and in some cases, even lust. The younger you are, the harder it is to distinguish what it is that you're feeling. That's why fiction is so easy. The author always knows if the character is really in love or not, and here, they are. If I ever wrote on this story line again 5-10 years down the storyline, they would be married and raising a child or two of their own. **

**That is what really got this story going was an idea in my head that progressed to what i felt was a cute love story, but still with the challenges we face. That was why i had her steal Hobbes and made Calvin change. We're never 100% happy with our significant other. We're different! But that's what makes love so wonderful. Even if we get mad, we can work things out and pull together. If we are willing, then through the hard times, we become stronger, and closer. There's no such thing as perfect love [excepting Christ], at least not in this life. We are still imperfect, but love makes it so much easier, and by added Christ into the equation, maybe I'm wrong, and maybe it can become a perfect love as we live and work and love together. After all, with God, all things are possible**

**Lol; i just reread it, and _I_ think that it sounds confusing, a bit, but I think you get what I mean. May we all learn to love deeper, and purer. **

**And everyone keep a creative mind! Life is nothing without fun!!! So, everyone keep writing and sharing ideas and critiques. **

**Thanks again for all the reads and reviews. I've appreciated every single one. Look forward to the epilogue latter this week!**

**CaptainFlye**


	17. Friends Revealed

**Generic C/H Disclaimer.**

**Here it is. A couple people guess that this was coming at some point... aw lets face it! ALOT of people saw this coming, even if they didn't comment about it. I hope you enjoy the epilogue. This was really fun to write and also to hear your reviews on. It's good to know that my first piece of fan fiction was well accepted [mostly ;) ]**

**So, read, review, bust especially enjoy!**

Epilogue

"What are you doing," Susie asked, exasperated. They hadn't been to the hill in weeks. The snow had long since melted so they didn't go sledding anymore, and they both knew they couldn't fit in a wagon anymore, so they weren't riding anything down the hill, either. Also it was still mid day on a clear day, so that ruled out watching the sun rise or set, and cloud gazing. So what the heck was he up to this time? Despite being exasperated, she couldn't help but want to giggle when she knew he was trying to surprise her. It was almost always fun. As they got near the top Calvin finally answered.

"I want you to meet the friend who told me about Hobbes," he said. She pulled back.

"What?! You want me to meet the guy that almost ruined our relationship?! Why the **_heck_** would you do that?!" He laughed.

"No, it was my interpretation of what he said that almost ruined it. He _saved_ it, by making my listen, and writing that note outside your window telling you to come over." She stared and let him pull her up the hill again.

"What? He did that? I thought it was you!" He shook his head sadly.

"No, I was too stubborn and stupid to do it. He tried to get me to, but I wouldn't listen, but he intervened anyways. So, I want you to meet him, for real, for yourself." Susie quirked an eyebrow at this.

"For real? Then I've sort of met him before?"

"Yup, but you never knew it. He's pretty special." They reached the top of the hill. Looking around, Susie saw the board they used to use as a sled. She'd managed to get them a different one (a _real_ sled) that was even funner, and it fit the two of them better besides (not to mention it was much lighter and easier to carry back up the hill). She also smiled when she saw where they had carved their names into a tree. Calvin had prepared it the night before, and then taken her up here to see it, and then help him put their names in it. He said her hand writing was a lot better than his, but she didn't think so; still it was fun to do it together. Then she saw Hobbes, who had never been up there before and she quirked an eyebrow. Again. He almost never moved from Calvin's desk next to the other tiger she had given him.

"Calvin, what's Hobbes doing up here?" Calvin just smiled.

"Well, Susie, my friend and I talked, and we agreed to let you in on our secret. You see, no one else can see him, because that's just the way he does things. I used to play along, but then he disappeared about ten years ago. Then he saved our relationship, and since he's not going to be leaving anytime soon, I decided that it- and he agreed- that it was time to introduce you to the real Hobbes." With that, he gestured back to the tree that his stuffed toy had been laying against, and what she saw next made her blink and rub her eyes several times.

It was a transformation such as she had never seen before, and it shocked her to her very core. That 'toy' turned into… not a real tiger, but a tiger-_ish_ animal… _thing_ that moved like a human. He smiled pleasantly and walked up to her, holding out a hand.

"Hi, Susie," said Hobbes. "It's nice to really meet you."

"Huh-huh," she said, reaching out a hand of her own, eyes still wide and jaw down. "How do you do?"

"Oh, quite well, thank-you. Much better now that I'm out of that closet, but I can't really complain about the results," he said, winking. She smiled weakly.

"Honey, tell me I'm dreaming, that this isn't real, that it's all in my head," she said in that crazy high pitched voice people use when the reach ultimate confusion. Calvin laughed.

"No, it's real but Hobbes really doesn't care about the closet anymore. Remember, it's him what got us to make up, remember?"

"Right, dear. But that doesn't make it any less weird."

"No, but you gotta admit, it explains a lot!" Thinking back to her open window, that was always locked from the inside, and how Hobbes had appeared at Calvin's that night, which she had never really thought about before, he was right. Things did make more sense. And, well, if she was crazy, she thought, looking up at Calvin, at least she had a good boyfriend to be crazy with!

**One or two last notes. I comment from "Da Fixer" suggested that the second tiger was also real. This was a concept I toyed with, but I figured I owed an explanation as to why I chose not to do that. I decided that Hobbes needed to remain special. One of a kind and all that. That's not to say that some time in the future [unknown time] that i won't change my mind and still write an epilogue to the epilogue where that happens.**

**For all interested, currently i have this and a Dragon Riders of Pern posted/being posted. In the future I also have fanfics in the work for Harry Potter, Naruto, and also, surprise, pokemon [the last one is a random idea i had that's being really hard to write b/c i stopped really doing anything with pokemon when the series was still in Jotoh; so i'm missing alot of information that i would need for it, but I think it's a great concept that just about every pokemon fan thought about at some point.] So, in the coming months I'll probably start to post the first chapters to each of these stories. I hope some of you will read those stories, too, to see if this one was a fluke. :)**

**Thanks again for reading everyone.**

**Last thing I can think of, I wanted to put in an honorable mention to 'nemiah' for my most encouragement. Right now at least, Nemiah has the most reviews for me, and it's always nice to see return readers. Thanks Nemiah.**

**CaptainFlye**


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